Another Type of Cinderella
by lapizlazulijavi
Summary: Written for day 4 of Rivetra week. Promt: AU. ". Her adventure at the ball had given her far more than she ever expected, but in a way she didn't expect at all. "


**Okay, this is a drabble that I managed to put together in a hurry, so don't expect much.**

The silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of rippling water and the faint grunts of effort that a lonely girl was trying to suppress in order to not get caught.

The lake was cold; enough to go through her skin and chill her bones. But it didn't stop her; she needed to clean herself to cover her tracks. The expensive body lotions that she managed to snatch from her mother had to be washed away, the make-up that she oh-so carefully adorned herself with had to disappear from her face.

This was the last step of her plan; a scheme that she had planned for years. If the guards ever caught her, she would be accused of plotting against the rulers. The nocturnal beasts that ruled her homeland would see her as a childish pawn of the politic turmoil between the two factions.

But in reality she didn't do what she did for some heroic antic in favor of humankind. It was far more selfish and, as she had admitted long ago, far more vain. She just wanted to live a fantasy.

As she scrubbed herself with the chilling water, her thoughts went back to how she started to see herself as one of the stunning ladies that she had seen walking at night. Ever since she was a child, she would stay up until late at night, observing from her window as the unnaturally beautiful aristocrats passed by.

Her parents and the rest of the townsfolk had worked hard in teaching her the fear she was supposed to feel whenever she saw, heard, or even thought of the undead that lived with them in an uneasy truce.

They succeeded, but the shiver of fear that Petra Ral felt running down her spine when thinking of the creatures of the night that cohabited with humanity only made her bolder. It had led to a dangerous excitement when she silently vowed as a teenager that she would live the nocturne life of beauty and privilege of the aristocracy, even if it was for one night.

She knew that the nobles, both human and non-human, held parties at a palace that was a few leagues away from her house, a place that she now watched from her position at the nearby lake. The chills that she got from the frigid water were nothing compared to those she felt when she saw its insides just a few hours ago.

She decided that the costume was the first thing she needed to take care of. Fortunately she had experience making her own clothes, and all those restless nights of spying the aristocrats at night had given her some ideas in how to design proper attire.

The dress the made herself now laid nearly abandoned in the forest ground. A pale cerulean corset joined to a wavy midnight blue skirt that flowed around her legs as she managed to sneak in the ballroom.

Next to the garment there was also a mask. It matched the tone of the wavy skirt, but it also had a black outline and a feather attached to the felt corner. If anything, it had made her copper hair to seem brighter.

Sadly, and despite all the effort and pride embedded into the costume, Petra knew that she had to destroy the disguise as soon as she finished cleaning herself. The only reminders of her adventure she was allowed to keep were the ones in her mind.

But she was sure that the memories she had gathered in the last few hours wouldn't abandon her for a long time. Her adventure at the ball had given her far more than she ever expected, but in a way she didn't expect at all.

A very different type of shiver went down her spine as she recalled the events. But before she could indulge in that event, a violent rustle of leaves made her freeze in the water. Had the guards spotted her?

"You are a clumsy brat, did you know that?"

She knew that voice. That silky baritone that had charmed her at the party had returned.

….

Cornelius Ral was nearing his daughter's bedroom. He found her sleeping deeply, unresponsive to his calls. He then remembered that the nobles held a party the night before.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. Apparently, Petra hadn't abandoned her childhood habit of contemplating the passing nobility from her window until sunrise. He shook his head and gently ran his hand through the girl's hair.

"You need a morning off"

He was about to leave the bedroom when he listened something that made him turn his head around in surprise. Her voice sounded groggy and sleepy, but he could still make out the words.

"Such a gentleman"

He bit back a chuckle.

…..

It was until well after noon that Petra woke up. The feeling of soft sheets and the smell of freshly baked bread gave away her location.

It took several minutes for the grogginess to disappear. Her movements on her bed were slow, and her limbs felt heavy due to the deep sleep.

Once she managed to sit up on the bed, she realized she was only wearing the white shirt she had planned to use as civil attire. The cool fabric against her skin confirmed that she didn't have her underwear on. She was about to curse the person who carried her home during sleep for stealing from her, but the insults died on her throat when she realized that her pants and undergarments were neatly folded on top of a chair.

"Tch... such a gentleman" she giggled internally. She stretched her muscles, still aching deliciously from her late night activities, only to feel a strange stiffness on the inside of her thighs.

Under closer inspection, she discovered the two puncture marks on her left thigh. When she was little, she had been told that those marks were a sign of punishment from the high rulers.

"_Oh…punishment indeed" _

She couldn't indulge on the delightful shiver that course through her for long. A small glimpse of blue at the corner of her vision broke her concentration.

There, just below her pillow there was her mask.

"_For a vampire with such a reputation, you sure are a charmer, " _

When she swore to sneak into a party, she promised to do it only once, but now she had found a reason to put on a disguise more often.

**This is what happens when you write during an election day! Feel free to fill in what happened **


End file.
